


Eating Brains, Staying Sane

by CrocsWithSocks (What_Zit_Tooya)



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Gender-Neutral Frisk (Undertale), I don't condone plagiarism, Kinda, Language Barrier, Memory Loss, Might change title, Not Beta'd, Random Updates, Selectively Mute Frisk (Undertale), Sorry Not Sorry, Swearing, Zombie Reader has standards lmao, Zombie!Reader, attempted humor, author is bad at tags and summaries, bored author, determination and stuff, i have no idea with what i'm doing, if anything in this fic is similar to other fics then it's purely coincidental, might bump up warning, might change summary who knows, more to be added later - Freeform, this fic is just for fun, welcome to "Long Summaries That Don't Make Any Sense" town! When are you leaving?, what burn is this?, wrote the tags and the summary on 2 AM, you may abort lads, you'll get to speak later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:01:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24004030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/What_Zit_Tooya/pseuds/CrocsWithSocks
Summary: When rotten flesh eaters introduced themselves in the world with a tip of their hat JUST as the monster race earned their freedom, all the monsters had to mosey their way into building their own society in a zombie infested world. They have built their own territories and started building suitable homes for their people, protecting them from the hungry creatures that could very well melt them. Dedicated research was put into trying to understand and possibly eliminating said creatures since they have proven themselves as an actual threat.And besides, eating magic infused human beans can get tiring from time to time.But with you as an "out of place" zombie obstacle, you're basically going up against a year's worth of research.  You can think, understand and do very basic human functions such as hand gestures, feeling emotions and not biting everything that comes your way like a hungry McDonalds JoeSchmoe customer. You're just...well, weird.And with all that said and one, the real question is: "What exactly are they gonna do with you?"For now, they honestly have no idea.
Relationships: Alphys/Undyne, Sans(Undertale)/Reader, Toriel/Asgore
Comments: 72
Kudos: 184





	1. I Think We're Missing a Child and a Creative Chapter Title Today

**Author's Note:**

> I found this sitting on my docs, collecting dust and I just said "fuck it". I'm posting this here because it's fun writing about dumb apocalypse shit with a skeleton and it's also a good past time slash distraction. M'not really good with writing and this is totes gonna be bad, but do I give two shits about it?
> 
> If this chapter isn't a good enough answer for you then I don't know what is.
> 
> Not beta'd. All mistakes are mine and comments are greatly appreciated. Have fun descending down to "NoNo Land".

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When rotten flesh eaters introduced themselves in the world with a tip of their hat JUST as the monster race earned their freedom, all the monsters had to mosey their way into building their own society in a zombie infested world. They have built their own territories and started building suitable homes for their people, protecting them from the hungry creatures that could very well melt them. Dedicated research was put into trying to understand and possibly eliminating said creatures since they have proven themselves as an actual threat.
> 
> And besides, eating magic infused human beans can get tiring from time to time.
> 
> But with you as an "out of place" zombie obstacle, you're basically going up against a year's worth of research. You can think, understand and do very basic human functions such as hand gestures, feeling emotions and not biting everything that comes your way like a hungry McDonalds JoeSchmoe customer. You're just...well, weird.
> 
> And with all that said and one, the real question is: "What exactly are they gonna do with you?"
> 
> For now, they honestly have no idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found this sitting on my docs, collecting dust and I just said "fuck it". I'm posting this here because it's fun writing about dumb apocalypse shit with a skeleton and it's also a good past time slash distraction. M'not really good with writing and this is totes gonna be bad, but do I give two shits about it?
> 
> If this chapter isn't a good enough answer for you then I don't know what is.
> 
> Not beta'd. All mistakes are mine and comments are greatly appreciated. Have fun descending down to "NoNo Land".

A year has passed since the human child, Frisk, freed the monster race from their supposed everlasting imprisonment and brought back HOPE to the monsters.

A year has passed since they first set foot on the outside world and got smack dabbed by thousands of shrill screams from the suffering humans, greeting their comeback with a scene presenting the ultimate destruction of humanity. Explosions rang out from the far distance and the smell of rotten flesh made everyone question what the _hell_ were the humans doing while they were gone. They watched the world die from their very eyes with horror, making them conclude that the humans have indeed--for lack of a better term-- _"royally fucked up"._

A year has passed since the monster race invited themselves into the dead society and refused to go back to the Underground for it will put the child's efforts (and the deaths of the six children) in fruitless vain. They built buildings inside their territory that was located near the foot of the mountain to make their New Home, helping each other and those who managed to survive the world's meltdown. In a span of a year, they dedicated their time and effort on figuring out how to live in a world where literal _zombies_ that--mind you, have the capability to _melt_ monsters with a single bite, roamed around the face of the Earth.

To put it into simpler words, a lot of things happened when the year flew over everyone's heads. 

And with all of that out of the way, we can finally go back to the still fucked up (but manageable) world of today. The _present._

_"SAAAANS!"_

The short skeleton woke up with a snort as he fell down on the floor with a thud, causing a sharp ringing sound to echo inside his skull. He mumbled an "ow" and decided to lay on the floor like a helpless burrito, knowing that he would probably be carried by his brother _regardless_ if he was standing or lying down. A normal everyday morning routine.

Loud footsteps can be heard from outside his door, presumably from his brother. Seconds passed by and the sounds screeched to a halt. Sans expected for his brother to shout "WAKE UP, YOU LAZY BONES!" but contrary to his little prediction, Papyrus knocked on the door frantically and it made the older skeleton's bony brows shoot up. Papyrus _never_ knocks when he wants to wake him up. He would only proceed to bust the door off its abused hinges and carry the small monster for breakfast. The strange little detail was enough for Sans to stand up from his spot and open the door, revealing a sweating skeleton. 

"sup, bro. why are ya _rattling_ your bones? you look like you've seen a ghost." He joked with a smile. However, the taller monster didn't even scold him, let alone _react_ , to his little pun as he continued to twiddle with his thumbs and avert his eye sockets. Okay, something is _definitely_ wrong.

"uh...paps? something wrong?"

Papyrus gulped. "I, UM...I THINK WE HAVE A PROBLEM…"

Sans narrowed his eye sockets and remained silent, letting his brother continue.

"I...I...I…" He sniffed a little, too ashamed to spit out whatever he wanted to say.

The smaller one placed his hand on his brother's forearm, concerned as to why Papyrus was acting like he broke a precious vase or something. 

"wha--"

_"ITHINKWELOSTTHEHUMAN!"_ Placing his gloved hands on his face, he blurted out the word vomit, not seeing his brother's horrified expression.

Sans' eyelights extinguished as beads of sweat rolled down on his skull, displaying the skeleton's nervousness. The sharp ringing in his head got worse so he placed a hand on his sweaty skull, anxiety making its way inside his soul.

Oh, Toriel was gonna have his skull for dinner.

"we... _what? how?_ weren't they sleeping beside you last night?"

"I-I DON'T KNOW, BROTHER! I JUST WOKE UP AND I DIDN'T FIND THE HUMAN BESIDE ME! I THOUGHT THE HUMAN WAS JUST IN THE BATHROOM DOING THEIR LITTLE HUMAN BUSINESS BUT THEY WEREN'T THERE! I TRIED CHECKING UNDER THE BED, INSIDE THE TOILET, ON TOP OF THE BOOKSHELVES--T-THEY'RE JUST _GONE!"_ Papyrus explained frantically as he started pacing around, a nervous habit that he rarely uses because he never actually gets nervous in the first place! Lady Toriel asked them to watch the small human while she's gone for a trip and he failed her on the first night! What was he supposed to tell her!?

More sweat rolled down on Sans' skull as he considered if he should have an arrangement to put his dust in a jar or to let it be washed ashore. "...did you check the inside of the garage?"

"YES. I EVEN CHECKED MY CAR _AND_ YOUR SCOOTER BIKE THINGY!"

"even the sink?"

Papyrus nodded to his brother and still kept pacing. "I EVEN TOOK OUT EVERY SINGLE BONE INSIDE OF IT AND SHOOK THE DOG TO SEE IF IT ABSORBED THE HUMAN!"

"uh, the couch cushions?"

"I BELIEVE SO! I DUG MY HAND INTO THE COUCH WITH MY BEST EFFORTS BUT I SADLY DIDN'T FIND THE HUMAN, ONLY 25G AND 2 TICKETS FOR AN OUTDATED HUMAN BASEBALL MATCH!" He explained as he took out the tickets from his pockets and waved it around sadly.

Tapping a phalange on his chin, the short skeleton thought for a place where a determined ten year old child could be hiding.

"...how about...the inside of the washing machine?"

The question made the tall one halt and stare at his brother as if wordlessly saying "no". Both nodded to each other and ran for the laundry room, hoping to find the little human there.

Toriel is _so_ gonna dust him.

* * *

  
  


The sun was setting and still no sign of the human.

The monsters searched high and low for the missing child, checking every bush and every lamp just to look for them. Around the afternoon, they just couldn't find the human in their territory so they concluded that they're either dead or outside the built walls--in which both possible outcomes caused the Dreemurr's despair to worsen. They ordered the dog squad and the royal guard to patrol the outside area to look for the human (except for Undyne since she's tasked to be guarding one of the entrances). Alphys even looked at the CCTV cameras but it seems like they've gone through a blind spot.

Papyrus, as expected, felt incredibly guilty for losing the kid and started blaming himself. Naturally, the monster family assured the young skeleton that he didn't do anything wrong. 

Everyone really wanted to blame it on the possible kidnappers, but the speculation of someone kidnapping the kid was kind of unlikely since there were no signs of trespass inside the skeleton household. But for now, they can't really focus on whether there's a kidnapper or not. They just needed to find the child and ensure their safety... _if they could actually find them alive, that is._

And so, Sans sat on his stationed watchtower with a telescope in hand, keeping an eye socket out for the human. In truth, he was also worried for the lil' kid. It wasn't much compared to Toriel's _"I will flip the world upside down just to find my child"_ kind of worried, but worried nonetheless. He knew that the kid can handle their own just fine considering their old background, but hey, there's still a possibility that they could die out in the wild. Unlike the Underground, the outside world won't have any sane and possibly merciful monsters to spare them so they couldn't really talk their way out of their situation. They had mindless zombies to stand up against so this will be a new territory for them to walk on. They were just...all on their own on this one. And everyone couldn't really risk the child getting infected because if their citizens find out that their hero is gone…

HOPE will be lost for everyone.

Sighing to himself, he opened a bag of "chisps" and popped a piece into his mouth. Briefly glancing towards the setting sunset, he looked around with his old telescope.

The outside of the walls were just...what's left of a human city. Cleared buildings, abandoned streets and everything that you would expect for a ghost town to have. Setting New Home here was a good choice because cleared out cities contained a whole bunch of supplies so that they didn't need to venture out _and_ the wide streets gave them a clear ground if a horde wanted to infiltrate their territory. And because of that decision, their place is now flourishing with buildings, (mostly)fresh supplies and satisfied people.

The short skeleton gave a firm sigh and squinted at whatever moving thing that his eye socket could spot.

A piece of newspaper that got carried by the wind. _'wonder what humans wrote about back then...'_

A struggling body of a zombie that was trying to reach for a non infected human corpse. _'man, buddy. get a shower.'_

A still sparking light bulb from a broken lamp pose. _'huh, better put that out later.'_

A roaming deer that briefly stopped by to nibble on vegetated grass. _'oh, a healthy deer that doesn't have its guts spilling out of its stomach? heh, niceee.'_

Sans took out the attached walkie talkie from his waist, briefly remembering that time when Papyrus suggested to use walkie talkies instead of regular cell phones. He chuckled from the fond memory. "ey, sushisticks242. it's me, "s". just wanted to ask if the food storage is running out of grub."

_"SushiSticks, here. Sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say? Roger."_

"the grub. are we running low on our grub? if we are then there's a lil' deer running around the territory, roger."

There was a short pause. _"...Nah. We're okay for a few weeks tops. Roger."_

"oh, okay. just wanted to let you know." He said nonchalantly as he crunched the small snack.

Sans was gonna turn the radio off when Undyne suddenly called out to him.

_"Uh...Sans?"_

"hm? roger."

_"Have you spotten Frisk yet?"_

He scratched the side of his skull. "nope. not a single trace."

_"...Damn it. Where is that dang wimp?!"_ She murmured mostly to herself with a frustrated tone before closing her radio. 

Sans breathed a harsh breath through his nonexistent nose and adjusted his grip on the telescope.

_'jeez, kid. where the hell are you? everyone's worried about you.'_ He thought quietly as he proceeded to continue his search.

A bird stopping by to nip on a corpse's eye. ' _ah, that must sting.'_

A kaleidoscope of butterflies hanging around a somewhat fresh patch of golden flowers. _'pretty. the kid would be smiling nonstop if they saw those.'_

A child wearing a blue sweater and a lady zombie walking towards the gates. _'nothing to see here…'_

A lone tumbleweed passing by the--

Wait.

_Wait._

Zooming his eyelights on the approaching pair, he let out both a gasp of relief _and_ shock from…whatever he was seeing with his two nonexistent eyes. Frisk was covered in mud, dirt and leaves as they walked side by side with a literal zombie. They were waving at the skeleton happily and signing the words _"Don't hurt her. She's a friend"_ while holding hands with the creature as if they were chums or something. 

The lady zombie beside the child wore a dirty lab coat, a worn black turtleneck sweater and bloodied slacks. The most noticeable feature on the zombie was her (can he even call it a "she" when it wasn't even a living human anymore?) small dried up wound on the right side of her forehead. Other than her old flesh, dried up blood and decaying look, she _honestly_ could be mistaken as an actual human if she were to dress up as one.

She was also looking straight ahead and sneaking glances at the skeleton as if she was... _afraid._ This completely threw him off because _zombies_ are supposed to be mindless creatures that would attack any human without a second thought. But _this,_ she was just...walking limply and holding hands with a small human child like an actual person…

Sans saw the kid nudging the lady zombie's arm and gesturing a wave at her, directing it towards the skeleton. She seemed to have _understood_ the thing that Frisk gestured with their hands. Leaning her head upwards with a small tilt, she then slowly lifted her arm lazily and shook it around as if she was waving at him, mimicking the kid's actions.

_"holy shit…"_

Lifting his walkie talkie, he started speaking. "ey, it's "s" again. i...um, found the human…"

_"REALLY!?_ _That's great! Bring the brat in--"_

"...but, uh... they brought _company_."

_"Company? What do you mean by company? Did they bring a horde? Sans? Sans? Ey! Answer me, god damn it!"_

The sound of Undyne's screeching was completely tuned out by Sans' mind as he wiped a bead of sweat from his skull.

Man, he's gonna need a drink after this…

* * *


	2. Part 1: "The Great Curse of the Fire Ants"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader is like the embodiment of being dumb but also being smart. And oddly enough, I am satisfied with how she turned out.
> 
> I'm so sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear this chapter is just dumb. I'm so sorry for writing this.
> 
> Also, remember that this and the next chapter will showcase what the hell happened to Frisky Gumdrop.
> 
> Aaand ello. Em back. Again. I read all your comments from the last chapter and let me tell you, I'm absolutely ASTONISHED as to how you guys are already loving this. Like seriously, y'all telling me that this has a "cool concept" and that it's just "fantastic". Lmao I just posted the first crack chapter and we're almost 50 kudos(es?) away from a hundred. Like, calm your tits and balls. I mean, I'm not complaining but even I think that I don't deserve all your praises XD 
> 
> All of your comments are just wholesome and I can't thank you enough for that. This is just supposed to be a one time thing 'cause I consider it as a crack fic or something. But then I got these overwhelming responses from you guys so I guess I just have no choice but to write more crack chapters. With my spare time, I already outlined most of my plot, typed half of what should happen and written almost all concepts for both the story and jokes. The problem here is just that approaching these bullet points will be a pain in the ass to write because I'm just a nooby writer. But hey, since you guys are all here with me, I guess I can pull this through ;D
> 
> Also, please don't expect day-to-day updates like this. I update randomly 'cause of both work, personal stuff and procrastination. I just have half of chapter two's draft already done.
> 
> And as always, this ain't beta'd. All mistakes are mine and I like interacting with people through comments. Try enjoying this shitty chapter.

Frisk awoke with a gasp. Sucking in a large gulp of air, they frantically looked around as they gripped the sheets harshly.

Oh.

Another nightmare…

Rubbing their eyes in a frustrated manner, the child rose from their spot with their elbows and looked to their left where Papyrus was sleeping, happily snoozing on his race car bed. The kid asked Toriel to stay in the skeleton brothers' home since she was going on a trip to check on the other side of New Home. Luckily, she gave in to Frisk's pleading stare and entrusted the skeletons to look out for them until she gets back. And of course, Papyrus and Sans were more than happy to have the kid for a whole day. All this zombie stuff didn't really give them the chance to meet up for a while considering that Toriel's house was really far away from the brothers' home...

And so, they just had to make do of the limited time. The three of them watched the old Disney movies that they found from cleared out buildings, they also ate spaghetti and Sans' quiche (which was oddly delicious by the way), played some human card game called "Uno"--and just did a whole bunch of fun stuff. It was kind of like a sleepover, in a way. Oh, they just had so much fun. Although, Frisk _does_ kinda feel bad for not having Flowey to join in as well. He and Sans kind of _glare_ at each other whenever they're near so he just had to be stuck with Dad. That's fine. They'll just bring him a slice of the quiche when they get back. 

Seeing that they couldn't go back to sleep, Frisk huffed and stared at Papyrus' cartoon clock.

_'3:24 AM...Too early...'_

The kid sighed and started shaking the tall monster's shoulder to ask if they could go down and have a glass of warm milk. Eventually, Papyrus stirred and half opened his eye sockets. The child smiled and then started signing at the skeleton with their small hands. But unfortunately, Papyrus only blinked at them and patted their head, mumbling a sleepy "NYEH". He then went back to sleep and roughly turned the other way, snoring to himself.

***He's in a deep sleep.**

***Continue to wake him up?**

**> No** **Yes**

Frisk shook their head as they spared him one last glance before dropping from the bed. Landing with their feet, they put on some socks and walked outside the door, not making much noise.

They stood on the empty hallway of the house that was comically covered with bone portraits and bone themed wallpapers, making them think that Sans and Papyrus totally lives up to the name "Skeleton Brothers". They even caught a glimpse of a frame containing a picture of the whole group, causing Frisk to smile a little. Tilting their head, they spared a glance at Sans' room while hearing his loud snores.

***Try waking him up?**

**> No** **Yes**

Again, Frisk shook their head and just decided to make the milk on their own. They were going to go down the stairs when they suddenly felt a weak tug from their chest--no, from their very SOUL.

**_Tug._**

**_Tug._**

They furrowed their brows. It felt kind of far, but also close at the same time. Rubbing their chest where their SOUL should be located, the tugs aimed towards the northern direction.

**_Tug._**

**_Tug._**

Not knowing why, they decided to follow it as the pulling changed directions, tugging on their east.

**_Tug._**

**_Tug._**

Eventually, it led to a window on the hallway. They opened it and immediately felt the AM breeze smack their face coolly. The window presented the outside world, a forest that was outside the walls. Frisk could see a clear view of it since the skeleton brothers' house was located on the edge of New Home. Trees and the early night presented themselves in front of the child, making them blush in wonder because they rarely ever get to go outside due to the Dreemurr's insisted protection. The walls that shielded them from the rabid flesh eaters stood tall and sturdy while a very thin layer of invisible green shield magic accompanied the thick barrier. The outside looked so amazing in their tiny eyes, making them want to cry a littl--

**_Tug!_ **

_'Alright, alright.'_

They were snapped back from their gazing when the tugging aimed downwards. Letting out a confused hum, they looked down and gasped.

There, outside the walls. There was what seems to be a pale woman, stuck in a bear trap while she attempted to crawl. She was a little bit far away, but she was still visible. Some blood came out of her foot and she seemed to be laying down. The harsh tugs came from her SOUL in a pleading manner, ushering them to help her. 

**_*_ ** **She's calling out for help.**

~~***Just like what you did with Flowey.** ~~

***Help them.**

It wasn't a question anymore. It was an already made decision. They nodded with a determined look and didn't bother to wake the skeletons from their deep sleep. It would take minutes for them to simply stir and the child also left their phone in their house so the thought of assistance is completely out of the window. The lady could die from blood loss if she were to wait further. The girl was suffering and almost everyone was practically asleep. They could do this alone. The lady desperately needed help and _they_ were the one that could give it to them.

~~***They didn't want to see another person die again.** ~~

Frisk made their decision and looked at the front door. It was locked.

They furrowed their brows and went down to see if the back door was accessible. They headed to the kitchen as the sound of their footsteps made sounds akin to little pitter patters. Peeking their head, they looked at the front door. Luckily, it wasn't locked, probably because the brothers must've forgotten.

Looking to their left, they frowned when they saw the Annoying Dog wide awake and ready to bark as they vibrated on the spot.

Thinking of an idea, they tip toed towards the the trash can that was weirdly filled to the brim with bones and opened the lid, smelling a wift of bone cologne. They took out a shiny bone and waved it around.

The dog squinted at Frisk and in a flash, quickly snatched the bone from their hand in one quick swoop. Nodding at them, he licked Frisk's hand and went outside of the kitchen to go inside his very own room. Frisk didn't know what was in the room except for the dog's strange computer and Frisk _also_ didn't know why Papyrus even gave the dog a room if he proclaims that he _"hates it with a passion"._ But that's none of their concern for now. The important thing is that they prevented the dog from barking loudly and they now have access to help the girl.

Smirking slightly from their accomplishment, they opened and closed the door to see the backyard. On the sides of the small garden, there were bushes (is that a busted camera?), a red barrow with a bird cage and an old shovel. At the very center, the ground was littered with tomatoes, tomatoes and even more tomatoes. Not that it surprised them. The skeletons' main menu literally consists of spaghetti and ketchup after all.

The child then stared at the fence of the house and the wall that stood behind it. All they have to do is cross it. 

Looking at their little hands, they clenched it and felt the familiar warmth invite itself into their chest.

***You are filled with DETERMINATION.**

Huffing from the slight cold of the AM morning, they walked towards the fence (while also being careful as to not trample the tall skeleton's garden) and started climbing. They used all their might and reached the top of the painted wooden fences. They gripped it and jumped on the wall, latching on its rough surface like a bug. Frisk breathed a harsh breath of air and started climbing.

It's a good thing that they took those rock climbing lessons with Monster Kid, huh?

With ease, they got to the top green barrier part and phased through it, knowing that Alphys mentioned something about green magic that acts as New Home's shield. They now know that anyone from the inside can phase through the green barrier. But if you're from the outside, you will be blocked off unless you will use a large amount of force to shatter the magic. Neat, but it wasn't something to think about right now.

They got out and landed on the grassy ground swiftly. Giving out an accomplished nod, they ran for the lady with cold breaths. She was still moving. Good.

Reaching the trapped lady, they stopped in front of her and heard her sniffing sadly, making the kid's heart clench.

Frisk then decided to call out to her verbally. They rarely ever use their voice nowadays.

"Miss?"

The girl flinched slightly. Frisk was going to give out an extended hand to the lady when she suddenly lifted her head up, making them see that she wasn't _just_ a lady.

_'She's a_ **_zombie_**. _'_

* * *

**_Earlier..._ **

You rose from your deep slumber with a grunt as your eyes snapped open stiffly. Well, you wouldn't exactly call it a "slumber" since you don't really have the capability to sleep. You just kinda lay on whatever surface that's comfy to you, close your eyes, think about random stuff and patiently wait for the familiar sensation of boredom to settle in once again.

And right now, boredom was hitting _hard._

You looked around and found yourself to be laying on vegetated grass, slowly remembering that you spotted this patch of grass a while ago and thought that it looked neat. It's not everyday that you can find fresh grass that's not painted with guts and blood. Like, jeez. You know that zombies are supposed to be gruesome and whatnot, but can they at least respect proper hygiene? Or just eat the person on top of a table or a clean surface _without_ spilling any guts? The smell of old metallic blood is just _rancid…_

_'Oh, well…'_ You thought quietly. Tilting your head upwards, your grey eyes stared at the dark night sky that was splashed with different hues such as black, blue and a wee bit of orange. It looked beautiful in your opinion even if the other zombies didn't find it interesting. They'd rather look straight ahead and find something to chomp on. Typical.

_'Alright, so night time is almost or already over...Hope I can find some wandering rabbits to eat...'_

Quickly spotting the small amount of fire ants that decided that it was cool to rave on your finger, you swatted them away with a dull expression. Oh, they were feisty little buggers. They tried to nip at their supposed challenger but you didn't even feel a single thing. You just felt numb, a dandy quirk of being a zombie. After a few seconds of resisting your hand, they gave up and ran with their little legs. Retreating to a hidden nearby ant hill, they cursed you in whatever insect language that they spoke. However, one of the ants, a major of some kind got stuck on one of your nails. You stared at the big-headed insect and watched it squirm around the gap of your nail.

_'Hmmm…'_

**_Lick._**

Meh. Could use a little salt.

You shrugged and sighed. Flexing your hand stiffly, you finally stood up from your spot and started walking.

You trudged limply through the trees, knowing each way like the back of your decayed hand since you've been roaming around this little forest for months. You even think that this place is supposed to be a park of some kind because you've been spotting benches, cabins and a whole lot of picnic areas in certain places. This place was nice. It had a lot of animals that you could eat and not many zombies roamed around. It was your sweet spot. You just hoped that it wouldn't get too crowded once an aggressive horde potentially passes by. Man, those ones give you the heebie jeebies.

You...honestly don't know where you're supposed to be going right now. You're just strolling aimlessly in the forest, your dull eyes simply looking for something that you could deem neat. If it won't come out as useful to you, you will eventually lose interest and toss the object away. You just want to find something that can ease your displeased mind because if you let this boredom grow, you'll do something stupid. No one likes a stupid zombie. 

_'A stray ball would be nice, or maybe a book. Yeah, those are fun to chew on.'_

As you walked through the familiar trees, your eyes suddenly drifted towards a kid zombie with its jaw missing. The zombie had little pigtails, a party hat and a cute polka dotted dress. And from what you can tell, the girl seemed to be around six to eight years old. Poor little fella. She was too young to get bitten. Oh and speaking of young, you've been noticing that you hardly ever see human kids these days...

That's kinda... _sad._

Brushing off your sympathy and squinting, there was also an obvious bite on her neck and she looked kind of thin, making you wonder how this kid managed to survive in this world without _snapping_ _._

But then you suddenly spotted the fresh blood that was dripping from her teeth. Oh.

She paused in front of you and stared at your form intently, not saying a word--or well, a grumble. Unlike those rude zombies that would snarl and scream at you as soon as they see that you're peaceful, this one stayed quiet. It's a rare sight to see, not to mention pleasant. You liked this one even if they seem to eat humans regularly. She seems nice. You want to interact with her. Did you sound lonely? Oh, who cares. You're a zombie that's been craving for social interaction for a whole year and seeing someone that seems kind of nice is an opportunity you can't afford to let go. Not at all. Dull eyes gleaming with gentle excitement, you inhaled a large gulp of air to grumble an indecipherable greeting. 

Unfortunately, an ear piercing whistle sound came out of your throat instead and it made the kid zombie flinch violently. She quickly turned away and ran. You stretched out a hand to her but she unfortunately left, her little silhouette fading from view. You cursed internally.

The whistle. The damn whistle that got stuck in your throat. You fucking forgot all about it.

It was an accident. Really, it was just an accident. When you were just new to this zombie thing, you didn't know that _hunger_ was a factor to look out for. After refusing to eat anything for weeks, you just... **snapped** and ate the first person your nose was able to catch. When the last bits of your humanity's semblance shattered, you weren't yourself anymore. You weren't the lone zombie girl. You were just _a_ zombie. You were no different from the other wandering zombies that spared no mercy for their victims. Instincts took over and you ate the man whole, leaving nothing for the soil to feed on. Apparently, he had a whistle hanging on his neck but at that time, the whistle didn't matter. You didn't choke or anything. It just got stuck and after pleasing your hunger, you...went back to normal and found yourself not being able to speak. Again, it was just an accident.

An accident. _Just_ an accident. Stop thinking about it.

Stomach churning slightly, you brushed off the thoughts and continued your walk. Better not dwell on that memory anymore. No one likes a depressed zombie.

Continuing your little stroll, the leaves crunched beneath your feet and you kept on walking. Your eyes suddenly caught a quick glimpse of a carved heart with two ~~letters~~ "squigglies" on a tree. The one squiggly was shaped like a worm and the other was shaped like a vertical ladder. It had the words _"Sandra and Harold: Together Until We Die",_ but unfortunately for you, you couldn't understand what those random squiggles mean. Looking down, there were two corpses of noninfected people. A man and a woman, their appearance skeletal and more rotten than you. The guy had a gun in his hand and the lady beside him had a knife. Flies and maggots were hanging around their limp bodies and feeding off of what's left of the flesh. Your nose wrinkled in disgust from both the smell, the sight and the thought of some desperate zombie _willing_ to devour these two people.

Blurting out an _'ew'_ in your mind, you quickly lost interest and proceeded to go to who knows where.

Hours passed by and you still haven't found anything that could please your mind. There were seeds, packs of ammunition, knives and metal parts laying around but you didn't need those! Seeds and ammunition are not edible and don't taste good, knives just cut you (sticking your skin back is just a bitch to do) and those metal cogs aren't good house decorations! Everything that you've found are just useless pieces of junk and it's making you kind of upset.

_'Oh, just my luck…'_

You were going to leave and go back to your little "home" with the lingering feeling of sad boredom when your peripherals suddely caught something round and bouncy. You whipped your head in the direction of the unknown object and found that there's a...ball? Wait, a _ball!_ A real ball! It's not a chew book but this will certainly do.

Boredom slowly easing, you stiffly "ran" (more like _limp_ ) towards it with all the energy that you could muster. You're a weak zombie after all. Running in this shape really isn't the best choice that you have. And so, the long awaited sensation of excitement snatched the edges of your mouth and made you smile. Fingers twitching stiffly, you extended your hand and reached for the ba--

**_Chomp!_ **

You tried reaching some more--

_**Yank!** _

Grumbling, you reached again and--

_**Yank!** _

Flinching slightly, you looked down to see a rusty bear trap that seems to have successfully trapped your leg. It had a chain that was hooked on a tree rather tightly, stopping you from getting away. How could you have not seen that!?

_'Fuck.'_

You tried yanking your feet _again_ , but it didn't budge. 

_'O-Oh, fuck.'_ You leaned down and tried pulling the chain apart. Again, to no avail. You tried using your fingers to seperate the springs and it was fruitless. Considering your low strength, all you were able to do was get your hands covered in orangey brown rust. You concluded that it was too tight for your frail zombie arms.

A low cry resounded from your throat and you reached for the ball that was _inches_ from where you were. Hope suddenly blossomed when you got to touch the toy, but that feeling immediately got snuffed out as soon as your hands accidentally made it roll even farther away.

_'B-But the ball!'_

The trap didn't actually hurt you because, again, pain is an irrelevant factor for you. It just chomped you with an average amount of strength, but not quite biting off your leg which is kind of a surprise because your skin is pretty easy to damage with just enough force. Not much blood gushed out of it. At least, not enough to make it trickle down your foot. Although, you _are_ kind of upset that it tore some parts of your slacks and your skin. You've had these clothes from day 1 and it's one of the few reminders of your old life back then...or well, what you can remember from them.

Stretching your arms as hard as you can, you gripped the ground from below you and attempted crawling as you practically laid down on the floor, the dirt getting in between your fingernails. Sadly, the chain reached its limit and yanked you back, earning the trap a whistled _"no!"_ from your frantic form. The ball was so far and yet so close! So, _so_ close! If you could just reach the damn ball, you could've at least had a small piece of entertainment to accompany you while you rotted away miserably. But _no_ , life had to be a bitch and basically dangled the prize on top of you like what you would do with a pig and a carrot. The mere thought of that made you more bitter.

All of a sudden, your eyes quickly caught sight of a wandering fellow zombie that continued to look at you with a blank stare. Something heavily warm resided from your chest and you reached a pleading hand towards the zombie while also letting out a whistled _"help!"._ But, just like before, the zombie got disturbed by the noise and fled with a stumble.

Oh, god. If you had the capability to cry, you would've balled your eyes off right then and there. But alas, the part of your body that initiated the tears to come barreling down already left you to rot on your own. 

And so, you laid there on the grassy floor as the somewhat mocking ball sat three inches away from you. Losing hope, you proceeded to dry cry and shove your face onto the ground like an ostrich, boredom slowly morphing into sad depression. Who knew that your rotting demise would be caused by a ball and a rusty bear trap?

_'Oh, please. Someone. Anyone. Hit me with a brick or something.'_

Depressingly accepting your fate, you just...stayed on the dirty ground and waited for your inevitable death caused by rotting. You just cursed yourself, you cursed the higher ups that watched from the clouds, you cursed the person who set the stupid bear trap, you cursed the rusty chain and most of all, you cursed the damn ball that led you to an inevitable death and a false sense of happiness.

You stayed there for several hours, not moving an inch because _why even bother?_ You were very apathetic for a zombie, not really caring for anything after everything you've been through. Adding to that, you've been metaphorically mocked by a ball and some god. Oh, lucky you. In fact, you didn't even care when your ears suddenly picked up the sound of crunching footsteps. It's probably just an animal or another zombie. Either way, you'll just scare them away with your unholy whistle screech. So, you didn't try to move.

That is, until you heard the person in front of you speak.

"Miss?"

  
  


_'...A_ **_human_ ** _?'_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you that this chapter is dumb. Very dumb. I didn't know how to approach the "kid gets napped" concept because I just--I dunno. I tried it and it looked like actual crack. I then tried writing it again but with THIS concept instead and it turned out...okay. I compared it and I honestly thought that this one is better because of reasons. And besides, this opens up plot so I guess that counts.
> 
> M'sorry for making this chapter longer than before and making you have to endure my shitty writing. I'm trying. I really am. I promise :,)
> 
> Oh, and have you spotted the Deltarune reference?


	3. Part 2: "Peanut Butter Hands"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk finds Reader.  
> They become friends.  
> They go zoom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *wipes sweat* Boy, this chapter really took a toll on me. I wasted seven pages of paper (which I reused to make papier mâché cause that shit is fun), let my anxieties dictate my writing (my children, please don't do that. By first hand experience, that habit is legitimately stressful af) and threw away five or four ideas since all of them felt kind of...weird. Dunno why. It just does. I had to rethink about stuff and even contemplate whether I should just...stop for a while and put my whole focus on this one chapter. But then I realized that that is a dumb idea. I realized that I'm trying to make something perfect, but then again, fuck being perfect. I had to slap my face and take a small break for even thinking of short circuiting myself. Bad, author. *sprays water on myself* Very bad. 
> 
> Anyhoo, things to look out for:  
> -My new personal headcanon is that Frisk shall smell like peanut butter since I think that it suits them. It's a hunch that I can't seem to shake off. Which is funny 'cause I'm actually allergic to peanut butter.  
> -Heads up: Minor panic attack? I don't know if it counts as a panic attack or just overthinking. So sorry if I got it wrong. I'm not an expert when it comes to these kinds of things so please don't be angery. There's just a scene that may or may not push someone's buttons a bit and I wouldn't like it if something similar were to happen to any of you. You guys have grown too close to me :)  
> -Reader will be communicating through gestures since there's a language barrier here consisting of a damn whistle and zombie grumbles.  
> -Oh, and since y'all asses keep telling me that this concept is so original and refreshing--
> 
> *slams fic on table*
> 
> Check this fic out!
> 
> Bones and Brains by Gocholuv. There's a zombie reader here! Their fic is amazing and I've been gushing about it ever since I found it while I was rewriting the first and second chapter before publishing. It's awesome and you should check it out X3
> 
> Send them love. Send them a LOT of love. Honestly, I really think that they deserve more love than I do. Go to their work and suplex that kudos button until your fingers break! (Actually, please don't do that. I don't wanna be charged due to me telling you that you should break your fingers •–•)  
> -Oh and um, Reader will get smarter. Don't you worry. You will be getting more and more aware of your human traits as the story goes on. Just bear with me please :,)  
> -And finally, *looks at my kudos numbers and falls off chair* WE HIT THE 100 KUDOS MARK, BOYS! *pulls out party poppers and confetti* I DON'T KNOW HOW OR WHY THIS HAPPENED BUT I SURE AIN'T COMPLAINING!
> 
> But like, seriously. Thank you so much. I don't know how I could ever thank you. You gave me 100 kudos(es?) and I'm just *sniff* really happy for all of your support. This fic started as a crack fic and look at it now. It's still crack :,) Again, thank you so much for giving me my (probably) only milestone 'cause I really don't think that this fic will hit ANOTHER milestone like jeez, it's too good to be true.
> 
> But yeah. Thanks so much <3
> 
> As always, not beta'd. All mistakes are mine and I like interacting with people through comments. Enjoy this shitty chapter ;D

Both stared at each other with a wide eyed expression as if the two of you were looking at death itself, paralyzed like two scared insects. Unable to move an inch, you didn't break eye contact with one another and stayed still.

It was as if time stopped, everything around you freezing for a brief moment, a fraction of a second. Your muscles suddenly clenched a little from the strong smell of forest sticks, homey wool, peanut butter and the overwhelming scent of _skin-_ -making an odd mixture that had its smell wafting through the air. And yet, despite it being kind of weird, you recognized that raw scent. It was familiar, _too_ familiar. It was an aroma that can only be tied to _humans._

And it made your nose itch in irritation.

Chapped lips parting slightly, you looked at the human in front of you with a very pale expression

The kid...seemed to not know what to do. At first, there was a brief look of confusion, hestinant realization and then fear--all of which formed a shitty concoction of mixed feelings and an expression that can only be described by the words _"Ah, shit"_. Their(?) mouth was agape as sweat beaded down their forehead from either shock, alarm or both. They also had a cute little blue sweater with two pink stripes, ruffled up coffee-colored hair, slightly dirty boots, dark brown shorts and thick black eyelashes that would probably make you jealous if you cared more about your appearance.

Speaking of looks, you furrowed your brows from the fact that you couldn't really identify if they were a boy or a girl since their appearance is basically the embodiment of the word "gender neutral". With their short chocolate hair, slightly plump cheeks and lack of any physical gender indications, their outward looks are just so...balanced. They're probably the weirdest looking human that you have ever seen...But right now, you couldn't really focus on that little detail since your mind is still buzzing with wasp-like thoughts, plaguing you with _"the fuck?"_ questions from seeing an actual kid in front of you.

At first, you thought that they were going to hurt you since you're literally stuck in a chompy bear trap, vulnerable to whatever danger that may come your way. But then you noticed their squishy hands, chocolate eyes, the weird smell of peanut butter and the child's innocent face--which _somehow_ made you immediately snuff out the thought of them harming you. Hell, the kid looks like the type of person who would burst into tears if they were to accidentally stomp on a bug! Not to mention that they appeared to have no equipped weapon on their body. No pointy knives, no shooty bang-bangs, no explosives...Just their little fleshy self and two individual bandages on their small knees. It's not like they came all the way here just to...repeatedly slap you to death?

The mental image of that only increased your confusion.

_'What the hell is a human child doing out here? A-And why are they staring at me like that?!'_ Very hypocritical of you, but you didn't really care since you were too busy having this weird staring contest with the human. Their hazel eyes and your "dead-fish" eyes were locked onto one another, not even gifting yourself a single blink. It was weird. Everything just felt weird. You started yesterday by catching a little flapping fish from a nearby abandoned zoo and ended it with sleeping on a neat patch of grass. And strangely, on the very next day, _this_ shitty situation suddenly came barreling forth and you just don't know _how._

As confusion swam in your mind due to the fact that a _kid_ was out here in a forest _alone_ in front of an obvious _zombie,_ you stayed in that very spot and asked yourself-- _"Were they lost?" "Suicidal?" "Did they get separated from their group?"_ You mean, it's not that you're complaining though. The kid might actually be your chance of escape! Yeah! They could help you break free from this bear trap! Maybe if you would just...plead to them? Show them that you don't wanna hurt them? Just sprinkle in some convincing stares, let them see your horrid predicament and prove that you really are a good zombie, then perhaps they could show pity and set you free? 

You hoped so _._ You really fucking hoped so.

And besides, you don't really have any other choice to actually choose from so you guessed that you just have to kiss their ass and hope for the best. You don't exactly know _how_ since your voice is kind of incapable of cooperating with you _,_ but eh, it's worth a shot. It definitely beats rotting away with a stupid bear trap and the darn ball, aimlessly waiting for your ultimate demise as green vines would start to grow and force you to be part of the soil's vegetation. Eeh, just thinking about it made an unpleasant shiver run down your spine. And you supposed that moping around isn't the best course of action for you to do in this situation so...

Wishing that the whistle won't be a dick to you this time, you mustered up enough oxygen to wheeze out an attempted "help" from your throat. To be honest, it sounded more like a dying pigeon pleading for water in a dessert, but it was still better than the usual screeches if you were to compare all of them. You would probably give it a seven out of ten, 7.5 if you were feeling a tad bit generous.

But, unfortunately for you, the kid flinched from your voice and you panicked from their _"I'm-about-to-bolt"_ expression _._ How was that the wrong move?! 

Gripping your clogged neck, you reached out a pleading hand and wheezed some more, now sounding less like a pigeon and more like a choking rooster. You looked at them with a hopeful expression and prayed to the higher ups to help you out just this _once,_ to just give the child a little indication that you needed _help._

The blue sweatered human stared at your form with a hesitant look, slowly realizing that you have a literal whistle stuck in your throat. The small realization of knowing that a zombie has a _whistle_ stuck in its throat made their demeanor change drastically from fearful and hesitant to confused and...well, still hesitant. That's okay. It's still better than nothing.

_'Just a little more...'_

Mustering up a little smile to let them know that you weren't gonna eat them (because _ew_ ), you slowly got out of your lying position and sat down on the grass while still keeping brief eye contact with the human. Your moves were deliberate, careful as if they were a bunny that would without a doubt run away from ~~the predator~~ you if you were to make the wrong move. An idea introduced itself to your old brain and you brought your hands up in a surrendering position to let them know that you mean no harm.

_'Please, help me. Oh dear god, please help me, kid.'_

The child's eyes widened from what you did and they suddenly scratched their head in a frustrated manner, confusion riddling their eyes. And, somehow, you shrunk from their little reaction. Why are they looking at you like that? Did you do something wrong? Was the surrendering position offending? Well, it _has_ been a whole year since shit hit the fan and shit can result to change...Change can result to new cultures...And cultures can also result to new gestures so the thought of _that_ being possibly offensive may not be too far off...Fuck.

Sighing slightly, they shook their head and muttered something about _"Alphys is gonna lose her marbles"_ and _"Mom is so gonna kill me"._ It was barely above a whisper, but regardless, it still made you knit your brows in strange puzzlement. They then tapped their little foot on the ground repeatedly and mulled over the presented choices, pondering in a thoughtful manner.

After a few seconds of silent thinking, they placed their tiny fist on the base of their palm and gave out a hum. It appears that they have made a decision. Grinning a bit, you thought that they were going to finally help you but then they suddenly turned the other way, leaving you on your own and walking away.

_'Nonono…!'_ You started pleading internally to the abyss while your only chance of escape moved farther and farther away from you, accidentally kicking the ball along the way and making you more bitter and sad. You grasped the air in a sad attempt to call out for them, but they made no move to look back at you. Your eyes drifted downwards and you hunched your back, your depressed side showing _immediately._ Oh, what are you going to do now? Is your fate really tied up to being a fertilizer for the dirt? Are you _really_ that unlikable for a kid to suddenly turn their back on you without even uttering another word? Hope diminishing, you placed your dirty hands on your face and started sniffling to yourself with a deep frown, feeling your chest get heavier and heavier. Again, you couldn't really cry so sniffling is the only thing that could actually come close to that.

Suddenly hearing your loud sniffling, the child halted and turned their head towards your rather depressed form. You adjusted your finger to make a gap for your eye, blinking at them sadly. A weird instinct filled your senses and your hands started moving on their own. Intertwining your fingers, you brought it towards your chin and you immediately remembered that this was a pleading gesture. Or was it an S.O.S? Either way, it made the child's face scrunch up in bewilderment.

Gulping, they faced you and appeared to be thinking about _something_ yet again from how their eyes closed and reopened repeatedly. They stayed on that spot for several seconds, but it was just fine for you because at _least_ they stayed, even though their current spot is a little bit farther away than before…

They breathed through their nose and fiddled with the hem of their sweater. They then began...wait, what are they doing? They seem to be doing _something_ with their hands, moving their fingers around rapidly and making weird signs that made you speculate if they were summoning a demon to kill you. They did vertical finger guns, weird fists and even a c-sign with their hands. The whole scene made you squint your eyes in confusion. For some reason, you then began trying to mimic the kid's actions by also raising your fingers in random patterns, bending them in freakishly absurd degrees and unexpectedly earning the two of you four loud cracks from your weak bones, making the kid halt. At one point, you even lifted your middle finger by accident and it made you finally stop with a gaspy squeak.

Lowering your head, you gave them a sheepish grin as if to apologize for the unexpected…"bird flipping". They stared at you and scrunched up their face slightly, drowning in even more confusion. They gave you a _"why-am-I-even-here?"_ look and continued to think about something.

They then shook their head with furrowed brows, smacking a hand on their forehead as if disappointed. You didn't know whether that reaction was aimed towards you or at themself, but either way, it still made you feel kind of embarrassed. You gave out a frown and internally blushed from the fact that the _child_ seemed to have taken the role of the "mature parent" from their somewhat disappointed response. Mocked by a ball and now you're being judged by a kid. You should've just slept on the bottom of the lake that you found earlier instead of being here, feeling like shit…

Meanwhile, the human mentally kicked themself because _of course_ a zombie won't be able to understand sign language, ya dumb. Of _course._ The human stared at you for a minute and gave you an _"I guess I have no choice..."_ expression. Clearing their throat, they now began using their voice to speak with you instead.

"Can you...uh, understand me?" The human asked you with an indistinguishable voice (it was child-like, but it still held no indication on whether they're a boy or a girl). You eventually responded with a stiff nod, understanding their words clearly. 

See, despite losing most of your memories after becoming a zombie, you at least still have the capability to understand human words to a certain degree. Specifically, sentences that have its complexity and amount of words kept to a bare minimum. Perhaps it's because you have the odd tendency to eavesdrop on actual conversations from camping humans? Or maybe it's god's way of showing pity by sparing you this one human trait. Eh. You really have no idea. All you know is that you have the ability of speaking in very basic words but, as expected, your talent is currently placed on an everlasting hiatus ever since you got the darn whistle stuck in your throat. And because of that unfortunate mishap, it left you with reading or writing instead but--surprise, surprise--zombie eyes and hands are basically useless in those departments. Oh, well. At least you still have the chance to understand the human even if you couldn't communicate back.

After responding to them, you then started pointing towards the bear trap, lifting your feet to further show your predicament in the situation.

The child stared at it while drifting their eyes towards your bitten leg and numb look, still fiddling with their sweater. They briefly turned away as they mumbled something along the lines of _"...I thought they said that zombies aren't humans anymore…"_ for a few very long moments. You shrugged at that and decided to wait patiently for them like the good zombie that you are, preoccupying your time by looking at the early AM sky. So pretty...

After a few minutes of awkward silence, the human let out a quiet "um" and you immediately looked back at them with a hopeful (albeit nervous) grin.

"...Are you trying to say…that uh, you want _me_ to...set you free?" The kid asked with another cough so that they could clear their throat. They must not be used to talking…

_'Oh, finally!'_ You mustered up the widest smile (which, in hindsight, wasn't that wide due to the tightness of your muscles) as you practically _tasted_ the sweet flavor of freedom. And _boy_ was it _delicious._ Responding with a nod, you excitedly grabbed the rusty chain and shook it around, making small jingling sounds to emit from the rapid movement of stained metal.

Crossing their small arms, they squinted at you and huffed like an actual child. "And why should I do that? You'll just eat me, y'know."

_'Oh,_ **_hell_ ** _no.'_

Scrunching in disgust, you took out your tongue in a _'bleh'_ gesture, killing off your happy mood. The mere thought of devouring this human _child_ made your spine shiver unpleasantly since humans are absolutely disgusting to you. Well, not _entirely_. You just...really hated how they taste. The…err, "whistle incident" gave you your first taste of human blood and--hoo, _boy_...It tasted absolutely **horrible**. You immediately went to the nearest water source and scrubbed your skin and tongue until they were blood-free! How could the other zombies even desire the taste of their flesh? It made you sick and nauseous from tasting their foul guts, hair and skin. It had too much grease, too much fat, too much _everything._ Adding to that, humans also have the tendency to scream a lot when they feel pain, making your ears ring in irritation. Their pleas of help just makes your stomach churn with even more overwhelming guilt and it also gave your sins a literal legal invitation for them to crawl up your back...It simply sickens you to your very core…

This is exactly why you still stuck to the animals-only diet...

You shook your head at them while moving your arms in an insisted denying gesture. There's no way in _hell_ were you gonna eat a child, because of both your morals and your respect for your whining taste buds.

They gave out a hum with a small squint of their eyes and stepped closer, but still far away from arm's reach. "...And why should I believe you?"

_'Why are you asking so many questions, kid? I'd rather eat wet cardboard than swipe my tongue over your skin! Just set me free already!'_ You thought internally even though you didn't give out any physical indication relating to your now sour mood. You just oh-so-badly wanted to say all your thoughts, convey all of them so that they could finally stop hesitating and free you already. However, the little object in your throat basically said "na-ah-ah!" and fucked you up on numerous occasions, including this one. Frustration bubbling deep in your stomach, you racked your brain for any gestures that could indicate "assurance".

You briefly fiddled with the dirty sleeves of your old lab coat and grunted to yourself. Imaginary smoke poured out of your head from all the thinking and shuffling that you did to your brain files _just_ to remember a simple gesture. But thankfully, you figured it out with a simple price of a short headache and a sudden old memory of you eating a hot bagel. You didn't know whether to laugh or feel sad about that...

Concentrating a bit, you lifted your hand and placed it on your chest with great emphasization as if to say _"promise"._ After that, you used your other hand to put it over your mouth and shook your head, hoping with every fiber of your being that _this_ was the correct gesture to assure them. Hey, you never know if it could be another "fuck you" sign and you just forgot.

Luckily, the desired message got delivered and the child contemplated for a little bit. As if on cue, they felt a sudden small tug on their chest, pulling towards you and internally guilt tripping them everytime the thought of leaving you alone struck their head. They rubbed the tender spot and looked at you, concluding that you really are unaware of your SOUL's silent pleading if that oblivious stare was anything to go by. The tense feeling on their shoulders eased a bit (but not completely) as they faced you with a stern expression.

Coughing a little to better adjust their throat again, they spoke reluctantly. "... _Fine_. But promise me that you won't bite me if I ever manage to set you free. I uh have this rock and I'm not afraid to use it!" They warned as they suddenly took a nearby rock, shaking it around in a childish attempt at acting brave while _also_ bluffing the rock part since they're too much of a pacifist to hurt anyone. Zombie or not. Maybe this is why Mom didn't want them running-about outside the walls...

Slowly lifting their pinky finger, they handed it to you with caution despite feeling dumb from the fact that they were making a _"pinky_ _promise"_ with a literal _zombie._ How stupid can this situation be?

_...Actually, now that they think about it, this whole scene is basically a lone shrimp compared to everything that they've faced back in the Underground. A talking house plant, walking Halloween decorations, sentient rocks, goat moms...Yeah. This is much more normal..._

_"...Promise?"_ They pushed further as they searched your face for any lies.

You hummed at the word "promise" but you silently tilted your head at the presented finger, surprisingly not really remembering what it meant. Shrugging, you booped the tip of their finger with a digit of your own and looked at them with a strange glint in your eyes.

**_*For some reason, the both of you feel like you could trust each other. You don't know how or why. You just do._ **

The child stared at your hopeful eyes and sighed. Knowing that you agreed to what they said even though you did it the wrong way, they seemed pleased and motioned for you to extend your foot to them. You complied to their request and adjusted your body so that they could properly face the problem, the chain tagging along with more jingles.

Humming, they examined your little predicament as you watched the cogs in their head twist and turn, looking at your foot like it was a puzzle that should be solved. You didn't mind the brain storming so you just watched them scratch their messy hair and listened to whatever sound that you could hear in the woods. Grunting to themself, they tried pulling the chain apart to see if the rusted chips would have weakened the metal, sadly getting their poor hands dirty in the process.

_'Already tried that, bud...'_

Fiddling with your fingers, you whistled yet again to grab their attention, hoping that it wouldn't come out as offensive. Chocolate eyes flickering towards you, they watched you shake your head and wave your fingers around lazily in a comical attempt to stop them from their fruitless pulling since you already have an idea of your own. You pointed towards the springs of the bear trap and tried separating them, but it only rewarded you both with a sickening crack from your old joints. Stretching your arms to soothe your wailing bitter bones, you sheepishly grinned at them.

Thankfully, they caught on. "...Ohhh...You're too weak..."

_'Wow...harsh.'_

Feeling kind of hurt from their wording, you nodded anyways and limply placed your hands on your sides to play with the green grass. Your rising anxiousness was starting to make your fingers twitch from the close proximity with a human. You eventually lifted a hand and scratched your nose, trying to let it get used to the scent of raw skin.

The kid placed a small finger on their chin, pursing their lips a bit. "Well, I'm just a kid so I don't think I could do the pulling part alone since the rust seemed to have...made it--" They tried pulling it apart once again."--kinda tight, y'know? No one is out here anyways and I can't just...wake my friends up just to open this bear trap...Knowing them, they'll probably gonna ban me from going back out again and most likely uh...hunt you down..."

You winced from the last part as your anxiousness suddenly started growing. A whirlwind of thoughts invaded your mind that related to the question "Who's _they?"_ and you started plucking the green grass, getting some of the dirty vegetation stuck in the gaps of your nails. The human noticed your pale expression and anxious behaviour. They gulped and decided to...comfort you. They don't know why, they just have the sudden obligation to do it. So, they reluctantly placed their little hand on the top of your head to give you a small pat and quickly retracted it back. However, the small act of reassurance was enough for you to look up at them with a curious glint.

"...Don't worry, zombie...lady? I...I won't let them hurt you. You seem nice and _definitely_ different from the other zombies. Maybe...maybe Alpyhs and Sans are wrong. Maybe zombies like you _can_ be SAVED. I just feel like you're good..." They said with a short smile as they coughed a bit from straining their throat, HOPE filling their senses.

Hearing their words of encouragement, you didn't even notice the fact you were smiling at them. As in, _genuinely_ smiling and you felt more of the pleasant warmth tickle the middle of your chest while it temporarily got rid of the anxious feeling, the _doubt._ It was the same reoccurring warmth that you felt before and, strangely, you wanted more of it. It was comfortable, welcomed by your body and it ushered you to not lose HOPE. You know that you were planning to convince the kid to help you out earlier, but you didn't really expect for it to _actually_ work. You were just dangling on a loose thread of frail optimism. How can someone be so nice to help a ~~freak~~ zombie like you?

_'Huh...What a nice kid...Hope we can be friends…'_

Nodding at them with a small twinkle in your eyes, you watched them continue to examine your foot.

"...Um, I guess we can work this out with just the two of us...Maybe--" They cleared their throat again due to the unexpected hoarseness of their voice. You gave them a little pat. "--maybe you couldn't separate it since your uh, bones can't really support the tightness of the bear trap on their own...Let's just do this together and see if it works...Four hands are better than two, right?" The human pointed out as they scooted closer.

Giving them a blink, you looked at your hands and you agreed to their reasoning. The kid motioned for you to grab a spring as they took the other one. You obliged and the both of you instantly felt the rough surface of stained metal. Nodding at each other, you proceeded to pull it apart with all your might and it slowly, but surely, came off. Due to the rust, it took some time for the two of you to pull it apart but it fortunately parted with a loud--

**Clink!**

Hearing the sounds of the old metal's long creak of protest, your foot was now free and the bear trap's jaws were pulled into an open position, resetting it. It kinda felt easy, _too_ easy. You looked at your foot's jaw shaped holes, feeling your old flesh breathe easily now that there weren't sharp teeth putting pressure on it. The flesh was visible and the skin was kind of torn off, but you honestly didn't care since it could be fixed with a little bit of stitching and duct tape. Grinning widely, you raised your limpy arms up in the air and let out a whistley victory cry.

_'...I-I'm free. I'm free! I'm actually free!'_

Almost crying in sweet relief, you moved your feet around to see if it's still fully functional. Fortunately, it was. 

With a real smile, you looked at the child with an inkling expectation of seeing them already gone. However, they actually stuck around, contradicting your rather pessimistic thoughts. They're still here, watching your joyous expression with a little smile of their own, making you wonder how could they even give you a crumb of a grin _for_ a zombie that they _just_ met. You didn't know if it was just because of the child's foolish naivety or their natural willingness to care for someone that has the potential to be good... _You were kinda leaning on the latter part..._

Relishing another round of the sudden warmth (seriously, where is that coming from?), you were about to shake their hand to show your gratitude when you suddenly felt your nose itch. Like, a _lot._ You scratched it with one of your sharper nails and it still felt itchy. A few seconds later, your nose wrinkled in pure disgust as if it was a first hand instinct and you placed a hand over your mouth, feeling like you could gag right then and there. With furrowed brows, you shakily took a large inhale through your nose and--

**Blood.** _Human_ blood.

Your grey eyes involuntarily drifted downwards to see a small cut on the human's finger. It was small, but there was still a teeny droplet of blood. And apparently, it was enough for it to be considered a real danger. There was no skin to shield the overwhelming metallic scent, no thick layer to stop the red liquid's particles to conquer the air around you. Somehow, it was actually _worse_ than the smell of skin since it made you feel like you were being sucker punched in the stomach, knocking you breathless. Face paling even more, you panicked and frantically gestured towards their wounded hand with shaky fingers and short whistley gasps.

Cocking their brow at you, they spotted the blood on the tip of their finger. "...Hm? Oh. Ah, _that._..I think I got that from one of the pointy edges while I was pulling the spring. Don't worry about it. It's just a little scratc-- _hey..._ what are you thinking?" They accused cautiously as they brought their hand to their chest.

_'I'm not the one you should be worried about, kid!'_ You thought to yourself with panicked eyes. You were going to bolt away (since you are _definitely_ not in the mood to deal with those chompy pricks) when your eyes slowly drifted towards the kid's confused face. Guilt ran down from your head to your spine, nipping at your skin and making you freeze. 

_'...I-I can't just...leave them, can I?'_

**_Yes you can. You're free and you can go home now. The probability of survival is low if you would try to save the human. The other zombies will have no problem ripping you to pieces if you would try to keep them away._ **

**_But the probability of the KID'S survival is also low! Don't be selfish! You can't just leave them to die!_ **

_"...Hey, miss. You look kinda...pale…You alright?"_

**_AND you can't just risk your life for some human that you JUST met. E-hem, a HUMAN._ **

_"...Uh, hello? Anyone in there?"_

**_A HUMAN kid that set you free out of the purity of their own heart. You're really gonna leave them here after everything that they've done for you? Oh, come on. You're better than that._**

**_So? They're just a naive human that simply helped you. That's it. They're not THAT important. At least, not as important as your own survival. You convinced them to help you and it worked. Run and go home. Why is that so hard?_ **

_"...Yoohoo? O-Oh, please don't tell me that you're dead…"_

**_Please, they can be a friend! Go kick your ass out and warn them!_ **

**_Don't. A wounded human is a dead human. Leave._ **

The child was going to knock on your head out of comical worry when you suddenly placed your hands on your hair and gripped **_hard._** The two opposing sides of your brain made your head a clashing mess, which caused you to lower down and hunch.

You felt like you were overheating, but that doesn't really make sense because your mind felt extremely _cold._ Cold as ice, cold as snow, cold as two melting ice cubes in a long summer day. And yet, it wasn't actually caused by the chilly air of the early morning since--in actuality--it was because of the feeling of frozen fear for both the human and yourself. Oh, you just didn't know what to do. You haven't felt this way in a long time. You hadn't had someone to actually care for in a _very_ long time. It feels nostalgic...and also scary. Your stomach vibrated unpleasantly and your anxieties were vibing like a group of horny teenagers in a bar. The physical pressure from your gripping helped a little, but it wasn't enough for you to ignore the overwhelming amount of stress. So, in hopes of getting rid of the unwanted feeling, you gripped harder and harder until--

**Pat.**

_'Wha…?'_

**Pat-pat.**

**Pat-pat. Pat.**

A few silent seconds ran by as you processed the fact that a small, peanut butter-smelling hand came towards you and suddenly patted your shoulder. The touch felt warm and they didn't draw their hand back, much to your surprise. Looking up at them, you saw their _worried_ face that was aimed _for_ you. It wasn't aimed for the ball. It wasn't aimed for the grass. It wasn't aimed for themself. No. The concern was aimed _specifically_ for you--

"...Hey...are you alright?"

\--and it was enough for you to suddenly finish the inner argument in your mind as you snapped your eyes open. A wave of fulfilment and weird obligation rushed through your mind and you quickly took their squishy hand, grabbing the end of their sweater sleeve and shoving their arm inside. For once, you made a decision.

"Wha--!" Shushing them with a whistled cry, you tied the end of the sleeve with your best efforts to lessen the smell of blood in the air, fumbling while doing so since your hands didn't want to fucking cooperate. After a few seconds of annoying fumbles, you eventually tied it and you breathed a still nervous sigh.

Looking at your work with an internal hum, you used your hands to stand up from your position. However, your foot tripped and you face planted on the ground. Stupid zombie feet.

"...Hey, why are you panicking? What's wrong?" The kid said in a much more hushed tone as they helped you stand up.

You turned to them and touched your throat. Letting out a groan of frustration, you pointed towards the deep forest and placed your hands in front of you, sticking your tongue out with an intentional dumb expression. You then pointed a finger to their wound and motioned to your nose, taking an obvious deep inhale.

Their eyes widened in realization. "Wait...are you telling me that the...uh, other zombies...in the forest...can smell my wound? Blood? Is that what you're saying?" Little by little, the kid guessed what you were trying to say as the panic slowly settled in.

As if to say _"YES!",_ you bobbed your head rapidly and took the tied up hand, gesturing for them to _move._

The kid took your shaky hands in theirs but they still didn't lift a toe. You glanced at them with frantic eyes while they tugged to the other direction.

"...Not there...I uh, know a way to the entrance of my home. If I could just convince Mom or Dad to let you in and show that you're harmless, maybe we could--" Whatever the kid was saying immediately got cut short when the both of you heard numerous crunching footsteps from where the human was pointing at. Oh, no.

You looked at the direction of the sounds and saw a small group of zombies, limping like there's no tomorrow. How did they even get here so fast?!

Some of the zombies' deceased skins were practically peeled off as their clothes were soaked with dry blood. Their eyes were unfocused and their lips were absent, letting the two of you see their abnormal teeth that were stained with even more dry blood. _Disgusting,_ you thought. All of them were twitching and _desperate_ to have a bite on the child's flesh, more so than usual. The suckers must be pretty hungry. 

You examined the small group and concluded that there were five--no, four of them. It was small number-wise, but large when compared to your...noodle arms. On the back, you even recognized the pig tailed child from earlier, following close behind. You tried calling out to them, but she doesn't seem to recognize you as she snarled and settled her unfocused eyes on the kid. Oh. She's one of the Irredeemables. The mere thought made your heart squeeze and your hands to clench. Unfortunately, the clenching was too strong for your bones and you suddenly felt one of your fingers breaking.

Yeah, you don't stand a chance.

One of them, a guy with a sleazy Hawaiian dress shirt and beach themed shorts, grumbled a harsh _"hand over the food, girly!"_ which you responded with a "shoo shoo" motion. You saw his glass-like eyes widen and quickly narrow in anger. _Someone's cranky…_

_'Eat shit, Dave.'_

Suddenly, an idea popped up and you thought of scaring them away with your "unholy whistle screech", hoping that the whistle would actually help you for once. You mean, it worked before so it should also work now. 

Placing two hands on the kid's ears, you inhaled a large gulp of air and wheezed a loud screech, making you a little dizzy. However, they didn't even reward you with a mere flinch since they were too dazed on the succulent smell of blood wafting through the air, their eyes solely focusing on the human.

_'Eat shit, me.'_

You grumbled to yourself and motioned for the both of you to back up. Without warning, another set of grumbles were heard from behind you before you could even take one step backwards.

Your eyes looked at their sharp claws and clicking teeth, causing you to place a shaky hand on your wounded forehead and for your once large confidence to get fisted and turned into a shaking mess. The zombies were slowly closing in, making you feel suffocated and needy for space. You...you haven't dealt with this many zombies before... 

Gripping the kid's hand like it was a life line, a whispered **_"I told you so"_ ** echoed through your mind and made you feel a pinch of regret. The human noticed the sudden shift in your demeanour and they immediately squeezed your hand, tugging your sleeve with a determined expression.

"...Hey, don't give up on me now. Please. You have to stay determined, Miss…I don't wanna do this alone..." They encouraged with a cough as their features shone with more HOPE. Your eyes widened and you got snapped back into reality, the grunts of the other zombies reminding you that you have a human child in your hands. A harsh wave of shame slapped your panicked mind and you nodded at them, scanning the area for a way out. 

_'Focus, me. It's not the time to panic. Just like you always tell yourself, no one likes a depressed zombie. Be the optimistic zombie. Everyone likes that gal.'_ You thought with a shaky huff while continuing the search.

Luckily, the kid found a gap for the both of you to run through. Tugging your arm and ignoring the grunts that seemed to have increased in both number and volume, they pointed towards it.

"There! Come on!" The child ushered and you quickly grumbled in agreement. The two of you ran for the spot when you saw a lunging zombie from the corner of your eye. Swinging the child away (which caused a large pop to emit from your joints), you literally kicked the zombie's butt with what little strength that you have and made them land on the other zombies, rolling like a bowling ball. You heard the group of fallen zombies grunt angrily and call the poor zombie a "dignified asshat". You would have laughed at that if the situation wasn't so dangerous.

Aiming for the gap, the two of you were going to finally run away from them when you suddenly screeched to halt. Eyes widening, the human tugged at your sleeve in panic and asked you why the hell did you stop. Their frantic questions were immediately cut off when you fucking ran back to the crowd, pushing the same zombie yet again and causing the others to fall and call him an even larger assshat.

_'Outta my way!'_ You attempted to screech while barely ducking another ready-to-kill zombie, your chest heaving from the adrenaline. You then pushed a zombie with your shoulder (making them land on the resettled bear trap. Ouch) and snatched the ball with your mouth.

Letting out a short gasp from both exhaustion and accomplishment, you dodged your way back to the confused child. Man, that took a toll on you…

Sending them a little shrug, you quickly held the kid's squishy hand and ran away with the small toy in your mouth, ignoring your frail leg's immediate protests as the rising sun watched the two doofuses run away from the angry crowd of munchers.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, well. This is kinda long but I don't know if I can put it into the meh or yeh category. But hey, you can pierce me with your virtual knives all you want but at least I'm happy to say that I tried! *gives a bandaged thumbs up* 
> 
> Um, also. I know I said that this was supposed to be a TWO-parter, not a three-parter but I just had to split this chapter AGAIN 'cause my fingers are quacking due to exhaustion ya'll. Don't worry. I think that the next chapter will be the final part and then we'll have our Sans interaction :,) The next chapter should be updated sooner or later since I feel like it'll be really fun to write. Uh, no promises.
> 
> Another also--wait, please don't leave. I just wanted to ask if I should cut back on responding to comments because the amount of comments that I have is already half of my kudos numbers XD  
> I asked a friend the same question and they answered with an "I guess so" and I wanted to slap that lizard-loving anomaly 'cause what the hell am I gonna do with an "I guess so"??? I just wanted to ask you guys personally. Thanks <3
> 
> Up next (no promises, folks):  
> The two bums will go to Reader's house and do some things. After that, Frisk will go back to New Home.


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